


The Little Things

by ObeyDontStray



Category: Stranger Things - Fandom
Genre: 100 ways to say i love you, Mentions of the other kids, Multi, prompt list
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-01-26 16:05:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12561076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObeyDontStray/pseuds/ObeyDontStray
Summary: Post season two.Jim had become a pillar of strength after everything that happened. A strong, warm presence whenever she needed him. Whenever any of them needed him. There was numerous moments in the year following that told her he loved her. But Joyce didn't really believe it until he said it out loud.Will be updated 5 at a time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> From the 100 Ways to Say I Love You prompt list on Tumblr.

1\. "Pull over. Let me drive for a while."

The radio played on between them, her passenger's Dark Side of the Moon cassette. Joyce's mouth was set into a hard line. Mauled by a bear. Fucking lie. She was on her way to Indianapolis to tell Bob's only sibling that he was mauled by a bear. 

Her eyelids were heavy and she let out a weak sigh, passing the leaving Hawkins sign. She had been determined to leave tonight, to stay at a hotel, and see Sue first thing in the morning. 

"Pull over, let me drive for a while." Came a gruff statement from the passenger side. After the events of the last few days he was deathly tired but as soon as he heard her intention of telling Bob's family, he wouldn't take no for an answer when she insisted on going alone. 

"No Hop you need rest, I'll drive." His hand reached for her's on the steering wheel. "Joycie. Let me drive. I know you're exhausted." 

Without much protest she pulled over and switched seats with him. He rolled the driver's side window down a bit, upped the volume of the radio just a bit. Then he passed her his fur lined police jacket. "Rest up, Byers." He smiled before she closed her eyes. 

 

2\. "It reminded me of you."

They were eating dinner, the Byers and Hop and El, at the cabin when Hop leaned up on one hip, digging in his pocket for something. "Here, this is for you." Hop said, opening his palm to Joyce. In his big hand lay a tiny stone cardinal. 

"Hop!" He gave her a small smile. "It reminded me of you. I know your favorite Aunt loved them." 

"That she did." She smiled. "She always said they were magical birds." 

"Oddly enough I found it on the ground. I guess it was meant for me to find it." He smiled gently. "Maybe that's her sending you a hello." 

The kids all went back ti their food, their interests elsewhere. But under the table Joyce lightly squeezed his knee, giving him a small smile. "Thank you, Hop." 

 

3\. "No, no, it's my treat."

He hoped it was a comforting thing for Joyce and the boys. Really the things just made his head hurt, but it was determined that once a month there would be a board game night in Bob's memory. Jim was squinting at a brainteaser, trying his hardest to decipher the damn thing. "Bob the brain. You know I always called him that because he was smarter than me." Jim observed. Joyce responded with a sad smile.

The doorbell rang. "Pizza!" Jonathan called. "Hey Will, go grab my purse please-" Jim stood, reaching in his pocket. "Don't sweat it, I got it." 

"No Jim, it's my turn to buy dinner!" She protested. "No, no, it's my treat." He said, heading for the door.

"Besides." He said returning to the table with a pile of pizza boxes. "One of these is just for me anyway." He said, referring to the everything pizza he'd gotten. "Your boys and their weird pineapple pizza. Blasphemy." There was a pepperoni and ham for El and Joyce. 

El watched him intently as he ate. "Folding?" She inquired. Jim always folded his pizza slices when he ate. "Yeah, people eat pizza all different ways." He explained. He pointed at Will, who was eating his crust first. 

"When my little girl was little, she would only eat pepperoni pizza, and she ate it upside down!" He laughed. "Some people eat cold pizza, sometimes for breakfast. People eat pizza all different ways." 

She looked around at the table, watching everyone eat pizza from paper towels as they played with the brain teasers. 

Jim looked over at Joyce. "I like to think he'd be happy, knowing the kids are having game nights like this and everything." He said quietly. She nodded and swallowed. "I think so, too." 

 

4\. "Come here. Let me fix it."

Joyce cursed a blue streak, her finger stinging. The splinter had been sharp, a piece of wood from the work they were doing repairing his cabin. Joyce had insisted on helping, since he helped repair her house after...after she chopped a hole through her wall. After the kids fought the demogorgon in her hallway. She wanted to help. 

She shoved her finger in her mouth, sucking the pained skin. "The quicker you get it out, the less it hurts." He said, looking up from where he was rebuilding a bookshelf. 

"Uh, I hate removing splinters, makes it hurt worse." 

"Come here, let me fix it." He offered. "I'll fix your boo boo."

Joyce pouted at his baby talk, but did it anyway. "Boo boo?" El asked, her eyes squinted in confusion. "A wound. Also called an ouchie or a boo boo if you're talking to a kid." 

"Joyce is not kid." She said flatly. 

Jim held Joyce's finger. "She's four months younger than me so sometimes I tease her." He explained and Joyce rolled her eyes. "Now Joycie, I want you to look away and sing me a song, okay?" 

"This is so stupid!" "Sing, woman!" He fussed as he unfolded his pocket knife.

Joyce turned her head. "Moving forward using all my breath. Making love to you was never second best. I saw the world crashing all around your face..." 

Jim dipped his head low to see the big splinter. As she sang, he gently cut into her finger with the tip of his knife. He then squeezed the skin lightly till the wood poked out. He pulled it out gently.

"I'll stop the world and melt with you. You've seen the difference and it's getting better all the time..." 

"All set." He said, folding his knife and tucking it away. Joyce observed her finger. "Wow, that didn't even hurt, Hop. Thank you." He grabbed her hand, lifted her finger to his lips and kissed it. 

"Tradition." He explained. "It was always my job to kiss boo boos. And we have got to talk about your taste in music." 

"Not everyone's favorite song has their name in it, Jim." 

 

5\. "I'll walk you home."

"I would tell you guys to watch after my girl, but I think it'll be the other way around." Jim laughed, patting Jon's shoulder. "Thank you again for doing this, El has been so excited." He said. "And I have to work so I couldn't stay." Jon nodded. 

There was an entire campsite set up around Castle Byers. El, Will, Max, Lucas, Dustin, Mike, Steve and Jonathan all had sleeping bags set up around the fire Jim had started for them. 

The sun was beginning to dip in the sky. "You're not camping too Ma?" He asked and Joyce shook her head. "Too old for camping." 

"Never too old for camping!" He smiled and offered her his arm. "I'll walk you home." He offered and she took it. 

The crisp autumn air blew through their hair as they walked through the woods. In his free hand Jim toted the oil lantern ahead to light their way as it began getting darker. She playfully reached up to run her fingertips through his beard. "Just like a real lumberjack." She teased. "Me, mountain man." He laughed. 

"You know, you can crash here tonight. I know the boys are with the kids but I dunno, I'd just feel better if you were close and we needed you." 

He raised the lantern once they got in the scope of her porch light and blew it out. "Those kids? They can handle their own and so can you if anything happens." He teased lightly. "I would, but I left my uniform and stuff at home." 

There was a pause between them at his driver's side door. She looked up at him, trying to contain the emotion his blue eyes made her feel. "Go get your uniform, come back. I'll even iron it for you." She smiled. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "I'd better get back to the cabin, Joycie. I'll take a rain check though. Next time El wants to stay over." 

One corner of her lips lifted, a pouty half smile. "Alright. Be careful going home, okay?" He nodded. "Always am. Got too much to live for these days." He smiled warmly as he slid behind the wheel. "Goodnight, Joycie."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these explains what happened to the Byers' dog!

6\. "Have a good day at work."

Joyce was frantically looking for her coat when the doorbell rang. "Shit." She muttered under her breath. "Will, can you grab that please?" She asked, the smell of frying bacon making her stomach growl as she dashed about the house. 

"Looking for this?" Came a voice behind her. When she wheeled around, Hop stood with her jacket in her hand. 

"Hop! How did you-? Where did you-?" 

"You left it in my truck last night. I knew you needed it today." He glanced at his watch. "You're running late, better book it!" He smiled. 

Joyce shrugged into her coat quickly. "You're a lifesaver, Hop!" She wheeled around and reached up to kiss his cheek. "I know you left early to bring this to me. You're a saint. Stay for breakfast, eat some bacon!" She said, rushing through the house with him walking lightly behind her. 

She kissed Will's cheek, then Jon's before stealing a piece of bacon from Will's plate. "Bye, boys!"

Together the three males echoed their goodbyes. 

 

7\. "I dreamt about you last night."

"Why are you looking at me so funny today?" Joyce asked, a broad smile on her face as they ate sandwiches in the break room of the store. 

"I'm not looking at you funny." He protested between bites. 

"Yeah you are, like you've seen a ghost or something."

"Truthfully I dreamt about you last night." He admitted. "You were in danger and I wasn't able to help." 

Joyce's eyebrows raised at the confession. "Well I'm fine, no need to fret." She told him but curiosity overtook her. "What happened, though?" 

He took a big swig of his soda. "Demodogs. It wasn't just Bob." 

Joyce nodded. "I've had the same dream about you, honestly. He really saved us."

Jim nodded. "He really did. I know I only feel a fraction of shat you do about it but...I miss him too. He was a good guy and he was good for you." 

Joyce nodded, feeling a pang of guilt low in her belly when she looked at Jim. 

 

8\. "Take my seat."

Every seat and most of the floor in Joyce Byers' living room was covered in young people. Will and El's entire group crowded around the tv, watching Star Wars for the millionth time. Jim's eyes floated up to her. 

"Here Joyce, take my seat." He offered. 

"No, no I'm fine." 

"You just got off work, come take a load off." He said, standing from the air chair. He eased to sit on the floor at the foot of the chair. "Come on, watch a little bit with us."

Joyce was too tired to argue and sat in the armchair, enjoying the warmth his body heat had left behind. 

And she heard him quietly reciting Han's lines to Leia under his breath. When she tapped his hip with the toe if her shoe he turned and gave her the most innocent look, making her smile.

 

9\. "I saved a piece for you."

"Does Flo always throw a party for your birthday?" 

"Yes because she knows I hate it." Jim said from behind his desk. He pushed a small tin foiled covered plate towards her. "I saved a piece for you." 

She unwrapped it, holding the plastic fork she had eaten her lunch with. It was white cake with sky blue icing and in white frosting was his name.

"They didn't give you the piece with your name on it?" She asked. That was a tradition in their house. The birthday boy always got the piece with his name on it. 

"That is my piece. Cake's not my thing." Joyce gasped. "You have to eat some of your birthday cake!" He shook his head. 

"Hey...what's this about?" She asked, looking down at a piece of paperwork on the desk. When he looked down she gathered two fingers worth of icing and smeared it across his face. "Hey!"

Joyce collapsed into a fit of giggles as he licked away the icing from his mouth. "Joyce!" He said loudly, complaining. 

"Happy birthday Hop!"

 

10\. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Freddy lived a long, full life." Joyce explained to Will, holding him close at Hopper dug a hole in the backyard for the Byers' dog. 

Will sobbed against her shirt and Jon grasped Will's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We've had him since Will was five." Jon explained to Jim as the older man flung another shovel full of dirt out of the hole. 

"He was a good dog, Will. I'm sorry for your loss." Hop said solemnly as he reached for Freddy's body. "Okay, last goodbyes guys." He said. 

Joyce petted the dog's fur one last time but Will refused to pet him. With sadness in his blue eyes Jim lifted the stiffening body and lay him in the hole at his feet before he climbed out, dirtying his jeans. 

Will couldn't watch the burial and Jon lead him inside. Joyce stayed, watching Jim cover up her family's pet. He was a sweaty, dirty mess by the time he was finished and Joyce grabbed him by the hand, pulled him to her. 

"Thank you so so much, Hop. My boys appreciate it so much. Will, he's heartbroken." He nodded, buried his nose in Joyce's hair. "Anything for you and your boys, Joyce. I mean it."


	3. Chapter 3

11."You can have my half."

Joyce awoke on the living room couch when a movement shifted her from her sleep. She rolled over and looked down into the sleepy face of Hopper. "Hop?" He sushed her quietly and pointed to Will and Jane who were asleep on an air mattress nearby.

"Sleepover, remember? You were shivering, you can have my half too." He said, pointing at the hunter green blanket that was just big enough to cover her small frame. It occurred to her that he slept here whenever they slept over, and she always gave him extra blankets. She must have fallen asleep here. And chivalrous Jim hadn't bothered her, only lay down next to her on the cold floor. She reached out and took one of his hands, he was cold as ice. 

"Come on, we're going to my bedroom." 

He gave her a wide eyed look. "You don't have any chairs in your room." 

"You're coming to bed with me, dummy." She said, glancing at their children who were curled together under a mountain of blankets. "It's too cold, come to bed with me." 

"What will they think?" He asked.

"We can wake up earlier than them, they'll never know." 

In bed he turned away from her and she pressed her tiny body to his broad, warm back. "You're like a furnace, Hopper." She chuckled as she threw the heavy down blanket over them. 

"Is that your way of telling me I'm hot?" He teased. 

"Shut up and keep me warm, cowboy." She laughed as she nuzzled against him. She smiled and stuck her cold nose against the crook of his neck. 

"JESUS WOMAN!" He hissed in a loud whisper, sending Joyce into a fit of giggles she struggled to keep quiet. "Shhh shh!" He laughed, grabbing at her hand. 

They came down from the giggles with her little body wrapped around his back, their hands resting on his hip. And he didn't protest when she buried her cold face against the warm fabric of his Henley. 

 

12\. "Take my jacket, it's cold outside."

"Joycie Mae, where is your coat?" Jim asked, arms crossed over his torso like a proper authority over his purchases that sat on her conveyor belt. She was wearing two thin long sleeved shirts under her work smock and he noticed her trying to hide her thin arms inside the smock. 

"Will got syrup on it accidentally this morning. It's not big deal." 

Jim shrugged out of his tan, flannel lined coat. "Take my jacket, it's cold outside." 

"Honestly Jim how am I going to look in your big coat? And what about you being warm?" 

He brandished his shed coat, holding it over the counter to her. "You'll look warm. And besides, my cop coat is in the truck. Take it Joyce." He nearly commanded. 

She gave him a withering look and took the mass of material. It fell nearly to her knees and way past her hands. He motioned for her hands. "I'm going to get in trouble for wasting time." She fretted and he shushed her. 

"Donald's got you by this door that is opening all times of the day and I'm sure he's noticed you don't have a coat. If you were my employee, I'd give you a brand new coat." He said as he rolled the sleeves up to her wrists, cuffing and double cuffing. 

"Now that you're warm, you can resume ringing me up." He looked at a nearby display of weather items and tossed a pair of women's gloves on the belt. "And I'm buying those too. And you're gonna wear them." He insisted.

 

13\. "Sorry I'm late."

Jane and Joyce both stared up at the clock. 7:15. He was normally at her house by 6 for dinner before he took Jane home with him. Both girls looked at the clock, then each other. "I'm sure he's fine, sweetie." Joyce soothed, reaching out and touching the back of Jane's hand. "He's probably just running late at work."

A knock at the door startled them both. When Joyce opened the door Hop stood leaned against the doorframe, his beard and shoulders heavily dusted with snow. 

"Truck broke down." He huffed, showing her his greasy hands. "Couldn't fix it. Had it towed in for repairs." He explained as she ushered him in, parking him in front of the heater. Jane appeared at his side. 

"Sorry I'm late, kid. Hope I didn't worry you." She took one of his ice cold, dirty hands and turned it palm up. "You fix truck?" 

"Not this time." He chuckled. "So things even I can't fix." 

 

14\. "Can I have this dance?"

They'd been sitting in the kitchen table for well over an hour, listening to the radio and smoking. Joyce secretly wondered how he knew every word to every song that had played the last hour. 

"I know it's late, I know you're weary. I know your plans don't include me. Still here we are, both of us lonely. Longing for shelter from all that we see." He tamped out his cigarette and stood suddenly, startling Joyce a little. When she looked up at him he held out his hand. "Can I have this dance?" 

She took his hand, let him help her from her chair before he lay his hands on her waist. Her hands found their way to his shoulders. "We leaving room for Jesus now?" She teased about the gap between them. "After all this time?" He smirked and brought her closer so she could rest her face against his mid chest. 

"You know, he always made me think about you." She confessed. "Hmm?" He inquired. "Bob Seger. His music always makes me think of you." 

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. 'Like a Rock' makes me think of that summer you had a job at the scrap yard. 'Against The Wind' and 'Night Moves' is about our teenage years. 'Still the Same' because you still have that look in your eyes that you did back then. 'Rock and Roll Never Forgets' and 'Old Time Rock and Roll' for all those times we partied. And I listened to 'Beautiful Loser' on repeat when we broke up." 

"You calling me a loser?" He chuckled. 

"I was calling you beautiful, at the time." She confessed. 

He gave a light snort of amusement. "That was a long long time ago." 

"Yeah it was. But now when I hear this song, I'll think about dancing barefoot in my kitchen with you at two am while our kids are asleep." 

He nodded, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 

"I don't know what happened to us back then, but I'm forever grateful I have you back in my life, Hop." 

He hugged her tight, the words right on the tip of his tongue. He felt like he'd explode if he didn't confess right now. But then Bob crossed his mind. The hug she gave him before he left. The look on her face as he was killed. Three months is not enough time to grieve. So he held it inside, settled on hugging her tight and pressing another kiss to the top of her head.

 

15\. "I made your favorite."

When Joyce came home from work her kitchen was a total mess. She gasped at the three in her kitchen. "What in the world?!" 

"I made your favorite!" Jim grinned and when Will elbowed him in the ribs he corrected himself. "I mean, we made it." 

Jane presented her with a plate full of mint chocolate chip cookies. "Will found your Mom's recipe, we made them from scratch!"

"Hop let us eat the raw cookie dough!" Will chimed in and it was Hop's turn to lightly elbow him. 

Hop shrugged. "A little cookie dough never hurt anyone. I mean, they put it in ice cream, right?" He defended himself. 

Joyce shook her head and smirked at him, grabbing a cookie from the plate. Will hurriedly poured her a glass of cold milk and passed it to her. She thanked them quietly and sat at the table. With the first bite she leaned back in her chair, her eyes closed. "You guys, they taste just like Mom's!" 

Jim smirked as he had her back to her, already beginning to wash dishes. "Go eat cookies, kid. Save a few for me." He teased. "I mean it!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys! Thanks so much for the sweet comments and the crazy amount of kudos! I'm glad you guys have as much love for Jopper and Jane and Will as I do!

16\. "It's okay. I couldn't sleep anyway."

"What happened?" He asked with an edge in his voice as soon as he picked up the phone. It's 3 am, something had to have happened.

She made a surprised noise. "Nothing, nothing. I'm sorry if I woke you." She apologized. "I just had this really bad dream and I feel like I'm coming apart at the seams." 

"Hang on, I'm coming." 

"No no no, you don't have to come over. Can I just talk to you a little while? I'm sorry if I woke you." She apologized again. 

"It's okay, I couldn't sleep anyway." He said. He had been rolling back and forth in bed for the last thirty minutes, unable to shake the feeling that something bad was happening. "Wanna tell me about it?" 

"Can we talk about something else? I just wanna try and forget it." She sad sadly. He guessed she was dreaming about Bob again. Or everything that had happened to Will. 

"How are the boys?" He asked. She always loved talking about her boys.

 

17\. "Watch your step."

The ground was frosted over and he was wishing he hadn't invited them over on one of the coldest days of the year. They shouldn't be out in this cold. But, Joyce and her boys were making their way up to his cabin for dinner. 

Joyce slipped on the porch and he stepped out quickly to grab her. In the process, he slipped too and ended up pulling her down and landing on his butt on the cold wood, Joyce sprawled across his lap. 

She started giggling, squeezing his calf where she had landed. When he realized she was okay he started laughing too. Jonathan reached out to his mother and she stood shakily on the cold porch. 

"Watch your step." Jim laughed. "I'm here to catch you if you fall again though!" He teased. 

 

18\. "Here, drink this. You'll feel better."

"Here, drink this. You'll feel better." Jim said, offering Will a shot glass. Will looked up at him with big brown eyes before he lapsed into another coughing fit. 

"Jim! What are you giving him?!" Joyce fretted, seeing him offer her son a shot glass of amber liquid. 

"Relax, it's cough syrup. I just lost the little plastic cup thing." He said, waiting for Will to take the medicine. He rested the back of his hand against Will's forehead. He was burning up. 

"Your brother leaves for college and you get sick on us." Jim said with a small smile. "Just do me a favor and keep. it. to. yourself." He teased. "Your Mom says all men are babies when they're sick and I'd hate to have to prove her right." 

Will gave him a weak smile before his eyes got wide and he leaned off the couch, grabbing the trash can Joyce had put there for him. Jim rubbed his back as he puked. "Come on kid, that's right. Get it up." He encouraged. "Get the bad stuff out." 

When Will lay back Jim offered him a tissue to clean his mouth and pulled the heavy blanket up over his slight chest. "You're gonna spend the night with me and Jane okay? If it's okay I'll help Mom look after you." Will nodded slightly. "Get some sleep kiddo, all of us are right here." 

In the kitchen Joyce was explaining to Jane what the flu was. "You guys are staying here, kids too sick to travel." Jim informed her.

Joyce looked up at him with appreciative eyes. "You don't have to help Jim, I can take care of him. Seems like he gets the flu every year since he first went missing." 

Jim nodded. "He's fine. And you're fine. If you'd let me give him some whiskey he'd sweat out the fever quicker-" "HOP!" 

 

19\. "Can I hold your hand?"

Joyce finds the movie boring, action movies aren't exactly her thing. So much gunfire and fighting and blood. But Will and Jane are into them, and usually so is Hop. 

When he gets up and abruptly leaves the room in the middle of the movie, it alarms her.

"He must not feel well, I'll go check on him." Joyce volunteers when Jane looks up at her with questioning eyes. 

Joyce follows him out onto her porch, both barefoot in the cold. "Hey, are you okay?" She asks. When she places a small hand on his shoulder he tenses up as if she had hit him. "Hop, what's wrong?"

When he turns to her she realizes he's sweating despite the cold, yet he's shaking. She reaches up, cups his cheek in her palm. "Flashback?" She asks, referring to the war scene in the movie. He nods. "What can I do Hop?" 

"Can I hold your hand?" He asks in a tiny voice and she realizes he needs something to ground him. 

She pulls him down to the cold porch and encourages him to huddle against her chest, one hand clutching his tightly and the other stroking his hair. "You're safe, Jim. You're safe in my home with me and my son." He's shaking, he's trying so hard to fight it. 

"Don't fight it, honey. Just feel it." She encourages. "It's just me right now. I've got you."

When he starts crying angry, hot tears she hugs him close, squeezes his hand tighter. 

 

20\. "You can borrow mine."

When Jim brought Jane and Will home from the Wheeler's Joyce was tearing her house apart. As soon as she seen Will her eyes lit up. "Baby! Have you seen my cookbook?" Will shot her a confused look. "No..."

Jim chuckled from the doorway. "Cooking for a crowd, Joycie?" 

"No but I'm supposed to take a dessert to work tomorrow, it's my turn and I can't find my cookbook!" 

"You can borrow mine." He said. 

Joyce nearly laughed. "You have a cookbook?"

"How do you think I fed the kid for almost two years now? My mother's cookbook. Maybe you can find something new you want to try."

Joyce frowned, her brow slightly furrowed. "You know I'm not very good at cooking. Especially new things."

"Listen, me and the kid will go get a change of clothes and my cookbook then the four of us will whip up something yummy, okay?" He offered. 

"You're a real lifesaver, Hop."


	5. Chapter 5

21\. "You might like this." 

Will was still sick, at home spending all his time in his bed. Jim brought in a big box one day.

"Your Mom tells me you've read every book in the house." Will gave him a weak smile in response and Jim set the box down near him. 

"You might like this." He said, lifting one of the books out of the box. "I don't know how you feel about cowboys, but they're pretty cool. And Louis L'Amore is the best cowboy writer there is." He said, handing the book to the boy. "How about spending some time out west while your sick, huh?" 

Will took the book, read the back cover. "Thank Chief!" He said. Jim reached out, ruffled the boy's sweaty hair. 

 

22\. "It's not heavy. I'm stronger than I look."

"Jim let me help you! That hope chest is heavy!" Joyce called while he was helping her rearrange her bedroom. "It's not heavy, I'm stronger than I look." He said as he hefted the box full of Joyce's memories of the boys. "You're gonna hurt your back!" She said, dashing to grab the other side of the chest and help him maneuver it to where the foot of her bed now was. 

When they set it down, she stood back up but he didn't. "Jim?"

"Just give me a second." He replied, his hand finding it's way to his lower back. 

"You pulled it, didn't you? You hurt your back." "No, I'm fine." 

"Lay on the bed, I'll rub it for you." She said, motioning for him to get on the bed. He grinned. "At least buy a guy dinner first, Joycie." He teased. 

"In bed, Hopper. I'll cook you dinner later you smart ass." She teased back. 

 

23\. "I'll wait."

When Will was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia, Joyce was a mess. Because of his time in the upside down his lungs were weak and things were beginning to become touch and go with his condition. Many times Joyce was made to sit outside in the waiting room and Hop stayed with her, only leaving to gather supplies for her or food. Jane spent lots of time in the waiting room, wanting to be close to her adopted family. Hop brought changes of clothes, books to keep the girls occupied. 

When Will got really bad, they called Joyce back alone. She held Hop's hand, tried to convince the doctors that he should be able to come back too. 

"I'll wait. I'll be right here for you." He assured her, pulling her to his side and placing a kiss atop her head. "Go look after your boy, Jane and I will be waiting right here for you both." He assured her. 

 

24\. "Just because."

Will had only been home a matter of hours before Jim hefted several suitcases, brought them through the doorway as Joyce looked on in surprise. "What in the world is going on, Jim?"

"The kid and I, we're moving in for a little while." He said and Joyce scoffed. This was not something they had discussed. 

"And why?" 

"So we can help keep an eye on Will. So you can get some much needed rest." 

"He's doing much better now, I'm getting enough rest." He stopped and looked into her thin, pale face. "No you're not. We're moving in for a little while, just because." He said sternly. 

 

25\. "Look both ways."

Jim's truck was parked across the street from Melvad's, his tail lights to the building. Joyce took a quick look before she jogged across the street, the harsh wind tearing at her jacket and hair. She wrapped her thin arms around herself. 

There as a sound of brakes, a blaring horn and a pair of hands on her upper arms. Jim shot the driver the bird, pulled her to the safety of his truck. 

"Jesus, Joyce! Look both ways!" He fretted, putting himself between her and the wind. His big hands pressed her shoulders before he drew her close, wrapping his strong arms around her. 

"We've been through too much shit for you to get mowed down by a car, girl." He said lowly. 

"I was just worried, you're never here this late. I figured something was wrong."

"No, nothings wrong. Just stopping by to say goodnight before I go home to Jane." He said softly. "But I'll take the hug, even if it's because you nearly received bodily harm." He teased lightly. 

"You can have a hug any time you want it, Hop." She said, pressing her cheek to his chest. "You always did give the best ones." 

He smiled, patted her back.


	6. Chapter 6

26\. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

Joyce was posed on a step ladder, her body stretched upwards as she struggled to change the overhead lightbulb. With her oldest (and tallest) away at college, it was up to her to do things like this now. 

The ladder wobbled, making her nervous and she reached down with one hand to steady herself. She bit her bottom lip in determination, looking up at the empty socket with the fresh bulb in her hand.

Jim walked in and when he saw Joyce and the ladder wobble, he strode forwards and caught the ladder. The movement caused Joyce to lurch forward, falling face first at eye level into Jim. The new bulb fell to the floor with a crash and Jim's hands flew to her elbows to catch her but he wasn't quick enough and their faces collided. 

Nearly mouth to mouth she collided with him, foreheads connecting. He grunted, caught her small frame and righted her on her ladder.

They looked at each other wide eyed. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" She sputtered. "Well, I mean I know you didn't do that on purpose!" He chuckled as he rubbed his forehead. "Get down, I'll put the new bulb in. You know, tall people exist. You can ask for help." 

She stepped down the ladder, eyes on her feet. He retrieved a new bulb from the table, reached up and screwed it in with hardly any effort. "There!" He sighed. Joyce was skittering about, sweeping up the smashed bulb. When she turned back from the trash can he stilled her, pushed her hair back from her face. 

"You're gonna have a goose egg, kid." He observed. "Better ice it." 

"No thanks to your hard head." She laughed. 

He bent low, brushed her hair back and kissed the reddening skin. "Shush you. No one told you to fall face first into my forehead, either." 

 

27\. "Try some."

"I don't trust you with cake." He teased, brushing away the scraps of cake she offered. She had shaved a thin layer off the top to make the cake perfectly flat. Perfectly good, fresh out the oven and warm cake. 

"I really really tried this time! Followed the recipe exactly! Try some, please." She said, picking out a piece of the yellow cake herself and popped it in her mouth. He watched her face for her reaction.

Her eyes widened and she smiled. "I did it! It's good!" She celebrated. "Try some!"

He gathered a piece, dropped it into his mouth. Warm and delicious. "Hey, you did it!" He said through a mouthful of cake. He dipped a finger into the icing and sucked it into his mouth, adding vanilla sweetness. He finished chewing, took a sip of his soda. "Hey, that's really good!" 

She gave him a warm smile and he reached to give her a pat on the back. 

 

28\. "Drive safely."

Jim stood with his hands braced on the window frame of her little car, peering down at her. "You tell Jon that Jane and I said hello and we hope he's doing well." He commented. "Drive safely." He added. 

Joyce felt a strange compulsion for something more. Some final act before they parted ways. Cover one of his hands with her own? Leave him with an awkward I love you? 

"I will." She promised. Before she could act on any impulse he stepped back from the car, resting a hand on Jane's shoulder. "Will, keep your Mom outta trouble for me, will ya?" He smiled. "It's a hard job."

Will mirrored his smile from the passenger seat, nodded. "I will." 

"Happy trails!" Jim said as Joyce started the car. 

Joyce watched them in her side mirror as she drove away, a strange pull in her chest at the thought of leaving them behind to head to the airport. 

 

29\. "Well, what do you want to do?"

Hop and Joyce dropped their children off at the Wheeler's for a party. Sitting alone together in Hop's truck, he looked over at her. "Well, what do you want to do?" 

She breathed in deep. "I honestly want sleep." She said, yawning loudly suddenly and stifling it with the back of her hand. 

"I'll take you home." He volunteered. 

"Come to bed with me?" She asked. "Come hold me, please?" 

So Jim found himself in Joyce's bed again. Flat on his back with Joyce draped across his body. Her head in the crook between his arm and side, her arm across his ribcage and her leg over his. He had teased her, called her an octopus before he kissed the top of her head and settled in for sleep. 

 

30\. "One more chapter."

The shouts startled Joyce, nearly giving her heart failure before she could walk in her own front door. 

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They had shouted in unison. 

Will and Jane, both wearing gigantic smiles came out from their hiding place behind the couch. "Happy birthday, Mom!" Will reiterated. "I'm so glad you wanted to celebrate it this year!" 

"I didn't." She admitted. 

"Hop said you'd want to." Jane said sheepishly, looking towards the kitchen where he must be hiding out. 

"Can I speak to him alone for a second?" Joyce asked the kids, thinking about wringing his neck. She hadn't celebrated a birthday since 39. She'd cried all day of her 40th, feeling like the best years of her life were behind her. When the kids shot looks at each other she hung up her coat and headed for the kitchen. 

"Happy birthday, Joycie." He said, giving her one of his warmest smiles. 

"You know I could kill you." 

"Turning 39 again are we Joyce?" 

"Well, since you're perpetually 21." 

"Touche." He nodded towards the table where a homemade cake sat frosted in pink icing and candy pieces spelling Happy Birthday. "They just wanted to show you how much they love you." 

She groaned at the pile of dirty dishes and pans. "Tut tut, I'm going to wash them after dinner. You relax tonight, okay?" He said. "Just enjoy your birthday. Which one is this? The 64th?" He said with a grin.

She elbowed him lightly. "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?" She sang. 

He pulled her close, wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Yes I will. This is just one more chapter, Joycie. With how things have been the last few years, we're lucky we're all getting more chapters." 

She looked up at him, a shy smile on her face. "I guess you're right." 

"Always am. Kids! Dinner time!" He called.


	7. Chapter 7

31\. "Don't worry about me."

She was surprised to see Jim at her house on a thursday. Usually he and Jane stayed over on fridays, dinner at the cabin on mondays. 

"She's visiting her Mom and Aunt." He explained quickly, seeing the questioning look on her face. He took the groceries from her hands. "I was just visiting with Will. He learned tonight what I already knew. I suck at video games." He smiled as he followed her into the kitchen.

It dawned on her why he was here tonight. Sarah's birthday. She'd be Will's age. When he set the groceries down she took him by surprise and hugged him around the middle. 

"You okay?" She asked as his arms closed around her shoulders. "I know how you've handled this before." 

"Don't worry about me." He said. "I'm handling things a lot better than I used to. But I wanted to see if I could stick around for dinner. Just...to make sure. Without Jane at the house it's awfully lonely." 

She squeezed him, buried her face in his shirt. "Stay the night with us, Jim. We'll play some board games or something after dinner. Or watch movies. Whatever you wanna do." 

He looked over her head into the living room. "I may just settle for sucking at Super Mario Brothers."

Fifteen minutes later she could hear his frustrated groan from the living room. 

"Hop, you're really bad at this!" Will laughed. 

Joyce looked at their backs where they sat cross-legged in front of the tv. Will sat to his left and with a little imagination, Joyce could see a blonde girl sitting to his right, staring up at her father with a broad smile. 

 

32\. "It looks good on you."

In the living room was two piles of clothes. 

There was a knock at the door and Will jumped up to let Jane and Jim in. 

"The hell are you doing, Joycie?" Jim laughed, handing off the stack of pizza boxes to Will to take into the kitchen. 

"Going through our clothes. I was supposed to be done with this before you guys got here." She huffed. "We finished with Will's and got the keepers hung back up. I just have to finish mine. Shouldn't take long." 

Jim glanced at each pile and from the top of one grabbed a denim jacket heavy with patches and buttons. "Please tell me this is the keep pile." 

"Actually I was going to give that back to you." She said. "It's yours, after all. Lonnie tried to throw it out so many times." 

He ran his thumb over one of the buttons on the lapel. 'Draft beer, not students.'

"But this is like your uniform." He said. "I was in camo in Vietnam, up to my knees in mud and gore and you were home clad in denim and protest buttons, sticking flowers in gun barrels and trying to get them to bring me home."

"That was a long, long time ago." She said. 

"You know, I never got to see you in it after you decked it out with all this stuff." He said, looking at the peace symbol patch on the back. He reached out, offering her the coat.

With a sigh she stood, took the jacket and shrugged into it. 

"It looks good on you." He said with a smile. "Badass, even. You know you should wear it around. The teens call that kinda stuff vintage now." He laughed. 

"Jonathan thought it was cool, that time I showed it to him." She replied. 

"That jacket's a piece of history." He said, looking at it. "Your side of it. You should keep it. Even if you just tuck it away like I did my uniform. Keep it, please." 

Joyce walked over to him, grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him down to her level to kiss his cheek. 

"I'm sorry things happened the way they did. But even when I was with Lonnie, I was beyond excited to see you home. Even if I didn't know how to show it. I don't know what I would have done if you had died over there." 

He nodded, gave her a sad smile. "I kept all your letters. They're at home in my locker." He confessed. "I appreciated every bit of protesting you did." 

Joyce looked down at the sleeves of the coat at a 'make love not war' patch. 

"Alright, I'll keep it." 

 

33\. "Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

Jane and Will looked up at Jim with expectant eyes. 

"You both did so well on your report cards, I got you something. Close your eyes and hold out your hands." He said and they both obediently held out their hands and closed their eyes. 

"Hop, what have you got?" Jane asked, hands outstretched. 

He set wheels in their hands. 

Both opened their eyes quickly to see they were holding brand new roller skates. 

"There's a brand new rink a few towns over. If you'll teach Jane to skate, your Mom and I will take you guys once in a while." The boy jumped up, wrapped his arms around Hop's middle and squeezed him tight as Jane fiddled with the wheels. 

"Thank you Hop!" Will cheered. "Come on Jane, I'll teach you how to stand up on the porch!" He said, grabbing her hand and leading her out to the porch of the cabin. 

"That was a sweet thing you did, Hop. You just made his day." Joyce replied, standing next to Hop and leaning into his side.

"We had so much fun with those back in the day." He said. "Well, until you broke your arm that time." 

34\. "That's okay. I bought two."

"Where did you get that?!" Joyce explained when Jim strolled into her store on his off day, dressed in jeans and a fresh Who shirt.

He smirked at her, smoothing his hands over the front of the shirt. "You mean this?" He grinned. 

"Yes! I am so stealing that!" She exclaimed. The Who was one of her favorite bands. 

"That's okay. I bought two." He smiled. "I seen that coming. I'll bring yours over friday." 

 

35\. "After you."

The movie ended and Jim looked around at the people in the room with him. Jane and Will were asleep in the air mattress in front of the tv where they usually crashed halfway through the last movie. Joyce lay across the couch, her head in his lap as she breathed softly. 

He shook her shoulder gently. "Joycie, time for bed honey." He whispered, shaking her again. She rolled over onto her back to peer up at him. "Let's go to bed." He said softly as he slid from under her. 

She was basically asleep on her feet and he took her hand to lead her down the hall to her bedroom. 

"After you." He whispered, holding the door for her and letting her enter the room first. She crawled into the middle of the bed and snuggled down there. 

"Of course you settle down in the middle." He said lowly with an eye roll. He slid in behind her, wrapping his arm around her middle and tucking his knees in behind hers. 

Sure that she was asleep, he brushed her hair aside and kissed the back of her neck. 

"Goodnight, Joycie."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the sweet reviews! Jonathan will be visiting home soon, I promise!

36\. "We'll figure it out."

Jim woke with Joyce nearly between his back and the mattress. Her little body was cold to the touch where their skin didn't meet. He moved off of her, fearing he'd crush her. And when the cold air hit his bare arms and chest he understood why she had burrowed under him.

"Fuck." 

She rolled over on top of him, buried her cold nose in his neck. "I think the heat is out." She murmured. 

"I think so." He replied, running his hands up and down her arms quickly to help warm her up. "The kiddos are probably freezing." He looked at the clock. Four in the morning. The hardware store didn't even open till nine. 

She protested when he slid from her grasp. "I'm gonna check it out and check on the kids." He replied, throwing on a t-shirt and wrapping the blanket from the chair around his shoulders.

Joyce had just about fallen asleep again when he came back and he wasn't alone. 

Jim slid into bed a little closer to the middle than he had been and Jane looked at Joyce over his chest where she clutched for dear life. Will slid in behind Joyce and pressed his slender chest to her back. 

"One big happy family." Jim smiled, squeezing Jane closer and easing his arm under Joyce's pillow where she nestled against his chest. 

"What about the heater, Hop?" Joyce asked.

"We'll figure it out. Later." 

 

37\. "Can I kiss you?"

Karen always did throw such lavish parties. This Forth of July party was no exception. 

Joyce had been so flustered when she asked Jim to go with her. 

"Not a date or anything. You know, just friends. I just don't want to go alone, I hate parties if I don't go with someone-" 

Jim smiled and nodded. "I know. You always did need someone to anchor you at parties. Someone you knew you could talk to." 

She smiled faintly. "You're the perfect date, Jim. You already know me so well."

Now their cheeks were flushed with the heat of cheap liquor as they sat outside on the steps of the Wheeler's house, sharing a cigarette. The music's playing loudly in the house but outside seems so far away from the commotion of the people dancing and making merriment inside. 

Jim sloshed his beer around in his red solo cup and Joyce looked over at him, knocked her knee against his. 

"We are way too drunk for you to be thinking so hard." She teased before she stole his cup and drank.

He sighed, looked over at her. 

"Can I kiss you?" 

Her face went from relaxed to tense in seconds. 

"Hop...you know I'm not ready for a relationship right now." 

"It's midnight." He said. "And we're too drunk for that sort of talk. I'm not talking promise rings and going steady." He justified, his eyes drifting to her lips and lingering there. "I just can't stop thinking about kissing you, that's all."

She outed their cigarette in the last bit of beer in his cup, set it aside and grabbed his hand. She pulled him to his feet, lead him around the side of the house. 

She looked up at him, her large eyes darker in the moonlight. "Only if you agree this means nothing."

"I'm drunk and lonely and probably won't remember this in the morning." He said lowly.

"This changes nothing between us. Friends. Close friends." She added. 

He nodded sadly. "Just friends." 

Then she reached up to grasp his shoulders as he leaned lower. Their lips met, clumsily at first in their impaired states. His lips were as soft and strong as she remembered and a warmth spread through her that she hadn't felt in a long, long time. He kissed her with the fervor of someone returning from war all over again. Urgent but soft and gentle. 

When they parted her hands slid to the center of his chest. The solid warmth under her hands she had grown so accustomed to. And her heart ached. 

His jaw clenched, she could see it in the moonlight. 

"Let's go get more drinks, Hop." 

 

38\. "I like your laugh."

The kids passed out on them, as they normally did. So Joyce and Hop sat at her kitchen table, sharing cigarettes and pouring each other shots of whiskey. 

At one point she asked why they had bene drinking and he replied, "Boredom, I guess." 

They finally gave it up around two and he dragged her off to bed, ready to stretch out. 

"Hey Joyce, did you hear about the lumberjack who got fired for cutting too many trees?" 

"No." She replied, looking at him as he peeled off his shirt and stepped out of his jeans. 

"He saw too much." 

She narrowed her eyes at him and repeated the statement. He sighed and shook his head and made a sawing motion with his hands. 

"He saw too much. Like sawing too many trees down?"

"Hop! That is so lame!"

Then he was nearly asleep when she began giggling. 

"Joyce, seriously?"

"He saw too much." She chuckled. Then her laughter rose until she snorted, after which she immediately covered her face in embarrassment. "OH MY GOD you did not hear that!" She squeaked from behind her hands. 

"Yes I did!" He grinned and scooted closer to kiss her forehead. 

"I like your laugh. Snorts and all." He teased. 

 

39\. "Don't cry."

The accident had been a nasty one and he had been unconscious when they brought him in. 

Joyce fretted over him as Jane and Will huddled in the corner, their hands clasped tight as they watched the small woman fret over Hop as he lay in bed. 

It had been four hours since his surgery and he still hadn't woken up. Joyce was on the edge of panic. The force of him hitting the steering wheel had been so violent it broke several ribs and punctured his lung and now his breath was ragged under the breathing mask. 

But he was breathing. The surgery was a success.

And in the rush to surgery they hadn't even had the chance to wash the blood from his face. So Joyce sat beside him, bathing his face with a washcloth and trying to fight back the tears. 

She lost the battle when she noticed the bright red blood staining the stark white bandages across his chest. Warm tears slid down her cheeks as she grasped his hand, squeezing it tight. Her eyes were trained on the bandage where she knew stitches lay underneath when she heard it.

"Don't cry." He said in a ragged breath. The room collectively gasped before the three of them exclaimed variations of his name. Joyce took his face in both hands. "Don't talk sweetie." She said, tears streaming down her face. Jane was at his bedside in an instant, grasping his other hand. 

He took wheezing breaths, looking at the three faces around him as he lifted a hand to caress Jane's face. Joyce kissed his knuckles of the hand she held. 

 

40\. "I made this for you."

Jim's recovery from his accident was slow going. His lung was healing but he still spoke in wheezing breaths. Joyce scarcely let him leave her bed, as she had moved him and Jane in for his recovery. 

He was sitting up in bed, listening to the tv when the kids came in to bid him goodnight. Each hugged him gently and he kissed the tops of their heads, bid them a short and sweet goodnight. 

When Joyce crawled into bed with the medical supplies, he clicked off the television and presented her with a sheet of notebook paper folded into a heart. "I made this for you." He wheezed. 

Just like the ones he used to write her love letters in back in high school. 

"You remembered, you smooth operator." She smiled and he nodded. She placed it on her nightstand and leaned over to kiss his temple. "Thank you." 

His incision was healing nicely, she observed while changing the bandage. Soon they would have their old Hopper back. She taped the bandages down, lay the small box of medical supplies beside the bed. 

"Let's get some sleep, trooper." She encouraged as he scooted to lay flat in the bed. She was still scared of hurting him so she curled up at his side, grasping his hand like a life line. She kissed the back of it once and sighed. "Goodnight, Jim." 

"Goodnight." He wheezed.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, folks! Life happened. Mostly good stuff! Here's some more injured Hop fluff and angst.

41\. "Go back to sleep."

Joyce's eyes opened slowly as she felt the familiar weight encircle her waist. 

"Hop, your chest." She murmured. "You'll pull your stitches." 

He settled down behind her, a kiss pressed to her shoulder. "I just want to hold you. I can't sleep." He admitted, his voice back to normal now. "Go back to sleep, I'll be fine."

She gently turned over to face him, pressing a hand gently to his bandages. No blood. As long as he didn't struggle, he'd be fine. She scooted closer till he could feel her breath on his collarbone. He took her hand, laced his finger swith hers and rested them on his thigh. 

"Get some sleep, Hop." 

 

42\. "Is this okay?"

Joyce You was moaning and whining in her sleep. Tiny little sounds of distress the woke Jim. He struggled to open his eyes and looked down at the tiny brunette curled up against his chest. Her face was tense and concerned and when she jerked in her sleep, Jim reached out to shake her shoulder.

"Joycie, Joyce. You're having a bad dream. Wake up honey. Joyce!"

Dark eyes snapped open, wide and filled with fear. "Hey kiddo, it's me." He said softly. 

Joyce took a deep breath, her small frame shaking. And then her eyes welled with tears the spilt over. He wiped away the tear threatening to cross her nose to fall with the others. 

"Joycie Mae, it's okay." He said soothingly.

"I dreamt I lost you in that accident. 

One corner of his lips upturned. "I'm just fine, Joyce. I'm right here."

She wrapped her arm around his waist, careful not to put pressure on his wound as she hugged him tightly to her. He kissed the top of her head as she buried her face in his chest.

"Hey, look at me." He said gently. When she looked up, his lips brushed hers. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry!" He said, quickly back-peddling in emotion. "I'm sorry, shouldn't have done that." 

Her lips met his again, this time on her account. The gentle peck turned into a more pressing kiss. 

"Is this okay?" He asked once they parted, both breathless. She nodded and cupped his face, bringing him close again for another kiss. 

 

43\. "I picked these for you."

Hop was just well enough to be mobile on his own again. The wound was slowly healing, but he was going stir crazy cooped up in the house. So he'd taken to walking the edge of the woods with Jane just before dark on the warmer nights. 

Joyce and Will were setting the table when the pair heard the others scuffing their shoes on the welcome mat. Jane entered first, immediately making her way to the cabinet to grab Joyce's grandmother's flower vase. 

Jim startled Joyce when he tapped her shoulder. She she turned he was beaming, clutching a handful of wildflowers. "I picked these for you." 

Joyce gave him a shy smile and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. Jane ran the vase full of water and took the flowers from her father's hands to place in the water in the center of table. 

Joyce eyed the blue and purple and reds of the flowers and reached for Hop's hand, giving it a slight squeeze. 

 

44\. "I'll drive you to the hospital."

Wet. The sensation woke Joyce and as she slowly came back to realization, she realized Hopper was wet. His hair hung in wet tendrils over his forehead. Heat radiated off his sweat slicked skin in the slightly chilly room. Joyce's hand flew to rest against his sweaty brow. He was burning up. 

"Jim? Jim wake up." He slowly opened his eyes and groaned at her pitifully. 

"Jim are you okay?" He gave her an exhausted expression. "On your back, let me look at your wound."

The bandages were stained crimson with old blood. When she gently pulled back the bandage it was stuck to the wound with thick, yellowish green. 

"I'll drive you to the hospital. Right now." Joyce said as she stood, gathering clothes. "It's infected and you're burning up. We have to go right now." 

She dashed from the room to Will's, waking both teens and alerting them to the situation.

Hop was unsteady on his feet but she managed to clothe him in decent warm clothes and his shoes. With Will's help they managed to get him into the truck.

Jim lay across the passenger seat, his head in Joyce's lap as she drove. His wet hair left wet spots on her jeans, her hand rubbing his wet cheek. "Just a little farther, Jim."

 

45\. "What do you want to watch?"

Jim flipped through the channels of the tv from his hospital bed. Click. Click. Click.

He landed on a Gilligan's Island rerun. Joyce had just started paying attention to it when he flipped again.

Click. Click. Click.

Joyce sighed. 

"What do you want to watch?" Jim asked. 

Maureen O'Hara's brilliant red hair in technicolor caught Joyce's attention. "This!"

John Wayne held her in the ruins of a church in an Irish graveyard, both soaked to the bone with rain. And then he kissed her passionately.

Jim snuck a look at Joyce, who was engrossed in the movie, and smiled. 

He could be her John Wayne, if only she'd let him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jim and Joyce continue to co-parent.

46) “You can go first.”

"You can go first." Joyce said, gesturing towards the door and holding it open for him. 

Jim's appointment had been a good one. He was on the mend much quicker this time and the wound looked so much better this time. 

"Why don't we celebrate?" He asked. "Go get the kiddos, get some ice cream? I really would like some cookie dough ice cream." He smiled. 

Joyce opened the truck door. "Sure, ya big kid." She smiled. 

 

.  
47) “Did you get my letter?”

Today was a good mail day. Joyce passed Jim the letter she had just read. 

It was from Jane and apparently a school assignment. She thanked them for being her family and how much each of them meant to her. And as bluntly as only Jane could put it, asked when they were getting married. 

Jim's face turned white and Joyce laughed. "To the point, isn't she?" 

"Yeah, she really is." He smiled. "But I wouldn't have it any other way." 

Later Jane and Will came in. "Did you get my letter?" She asked and Joyce hugged her tight. "Yes we did." 

 

.  
48) “I’ll do it for you."

"Joyce, Chief's on the line for you." Donald said. 

"Hey Jim? What's wrong?" He never called her at work these days. 

"Joycie I got a problem. It's Jane....her period started. Her stomach started hurting at school and they sent her home. And it started when she got home. And I have no idea what to do, you know I didn't get this far with Sarah. I know some basics but I have no idea about pads and tampons and stuff. I told her to fold up toilet paper really thick but I know that won't work for long. I'd come to town and get something but I don't know the difference." 

"I'll do it for you." She volunteered, smiling at the panic in his voice. "I'll gather supplies and head home to give her a talk. I'm sure she's a little scared." 

"Yeah she is. Thank you Joycie." He said. "She's complaining about her belly hurting." 

"Tell her to lay on her belly on our heated blanket until I get home." Joyce advised. "See you soon." 

 

.  
49) “Call me when you get home.”

"Call me when you get home." Joyce told Jonathan over the phone. "As soon as you step off that plane into Indiana, you call me, okay? We'll come right away to get you." 

"I know Mom!" She could hear the smile in his voice. "It's just summer break, I'm not home forever. Rebecca and I have to go back to school sometime!" 

"I know, I'm just so excited to see the both of you!" She smiled. "I can’t wait to see this mysterious Rebecca that you're living with these days. She'd better be a nice girl, Jonathan!" 

"She is Mom, I promise!" 

"I still wish you weren't living together yet. You've only been dating what, four months?" 

"Five! You have no room to talk, Hopper and Jane are living with you." 

"Just until Hopper heals completely and goes back to work."

"Yeah right, Mom." He chuckled. "You two are basically Mom and Pop Hop." 

"Are not!" Joyce replied.

 

.  
50) “I think you’re beautiful.”

"She's so beautiful!" Joyce marveled that night as she lay in bed with Hopper. 

Jon's new girlfriend was a real looker with her curly black hair and large green eyes. And she was really nice. Sweet and shy and quiet. 

"You know, I always wished I had green eyes. Or at least blue. And my hair refuses to hold a curl like that. Wow, she's really beautiful!" 

"They make a fine couple." Jim agreed. "But she's not my idea of beautiful." 

"Yeah. And what is your idea of beautiful?" She asked.

"I think you're beautiful.” He admitted. 

"Me? You must be blind!" She laughed. "I used to be. My looks are really fading though. I'm getting so many grays and all these lines are on my face." 

He stopped her and turned her face to hers. 

"And if it were up to me, I wouldn't change a thing." 

"You smooth talker." She smiled.

"You know Will's friend Dustin? I overheard him tell Will you were hot once. Will was scandalized of course." 

Joyce chuckled.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a rift growing, how will it change their family dynamic?

51) “Are you sure?”

"You will do no such thing." Joyce insisted, hands on her hips. 

"Joycie, we've imposed far too long. Seriously, it's time you and Will get your house back to yourselves." Jim said. Having deemed himself fully healed, he had grabbed his suitcase and got ready to start packing. 

She crossed the room and shut his suitcase, moving to sit on it and keep him from packing. 

"Do you know how bored we would be without you two?" She said. "If anything, you should pack up that old cabin and move in with us permanently."

"What will people say-" 

"Fuck what people say. You've lived with me this long." 

"But I was injured-" 

"And I'm too used to my bed not being empty anymore." Joyce admitted. 

He sighed and sat down In bed beside her. "What is this, Joycie?" 

"Communal living? Co-parenting?" 

"Sharing a bed?"

Joyce got quiet. "I...I don't know. I didn't plan it that way, I was just tending to you and Jane. I figured sleeping with you was a good way to be close in case you needed me." 

He looked at her. "Are we dating?" 

"No! I mean, I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Not so soon after...after B-" 

Jim's mouth set into a hard frown. "I understand. But you know Jane's got it in her head that we're going to get married and stuff. We're giving her the wrong idea, I mean we had an excuse while I was healing but now, to further it will only confuse the kids more."

He was right. Damn him, he was right. Tears welled up in Joyce's eyes but she looked away so he wouldn't see. 

"I guess you're right. But you have to break it to the kids."

 

52) “Have fun.”

There was a lump In her throat at the sight of Jane and Will's long faces. 

"I don't want to leave." Jane said lowly. 

Joyce took her by the upper arm gently. "Sweetie it was just until your Dad got better. We don’t want you guys getting the wrong idea about us or anything. We're like family but-" 

"We are family." She said sternly. "You are being stupid." 

"Hey hey hey! We do not talk like that, especially since Joyce has been so good to us." Jim chided. 

"Hey! School will be out soon and the boys will be camping and stuff! Everyone will still be together!" 

Jane's scornful face and Will's heartbroken expression cut her to the bone. 

"Living in the cabin's a bit like camping every day, isn't it? I bet that's fun?" 

Jane turned her face downwards to stare at her lap, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. When did their sweet little girl become so angry?

Joyce sighed and laid her hand on Will's shoulder, who shrugged away and headed into their house. She rounded the truck and Jim's face was just as stony. Everything he was thinking was etched on his face.

This is all your fault, Joycie.

She laid her hand on his stony forearm.

"Besides, I've missed my old cabin." He lied. "It'll be nice getting back to it after all this time." 

Joyce muffled a sob, giving him a pleading look. 

Stay, please stay. I'll come around. 

"Well we've gotta get going," Jim said sternly.

"Yeah, be safe. Have fun." Joyce squeaked out, "I love you Jane." She was met with stony silence from both of her former housemates as Jim cranked the truck. He nodded one last time and pulled away, leaving her behind. 

 

53) “Sit down, I’ll get it.”

It had been a full week and Joyce was getting antsy. Not a peep out of Jane or of Jim. She hadn't seen them in town, no phone calls. No anything, she had expected to at least see Jane out and about, was he keeping her hostage? Wasn't he working? Was he actively avoiding Joyce? 

Jane jumped up and headed towards the phone on the second ring. 

"Sit down, I'll get it." Jim said as he walked past. "Actually, go to your room." 

She gave him a glare. "Please?" He requested. 

When the room emptied, after about five rings, he picked up the phone. 

"Don't hang up, please!" Joyce begged. "Please just talk to me, I miss you so much!" 

Jim huffed and sat down on the couch, putting the knees of his pants up to relieve the pulling on his bruised knees where Jane had thrown the coffee able at him with her powers the day they moved back in. 

"Are you avoiding me?" She asked. "You know, we can always go back to sharing dinners and movie nights."

"Jane is still healing. She's very angry, so I don't think that's a good idea right now." It was unspoken,but he was still healing too. 

"Jim I'm sorry." 

"It is what it is."

"You understand, right? I'm just not ready." 

Jim sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I guess I do. Listen I gotta go' I'm cooking." He lied. 

"Oh, okay. Please...just don't avoid me. Adjusting is hard enough,  
." 

"I'll see you when I see you." He replied. 

 

54) “I made reservations.”

Joyce was dreading the oncoming week. Thursday was sure to be a bad day. The day, last year, that she still had nightmares about. The ones where she woke up with a scream on her lips and cold sweats. Bob was dead. And it had been an entire year. 

"Mom, mail." Will said, breaking her out of her thoughts as he plunked the mail down on the table beside her half empty mug of now cold coffee. 

"Thanks sweetie." She said, picking up the sparse stack. 

Bill, bill, bill, junk, junk. She recognized the blocky handwriting on one and knew who it was before she even looked at the return address. Hopper.

The letter was short and to the point. 

 

'I made reservations for you and Will. Try to salvage a rough day, okay?' 

-Hop

 

Beneath it was the details for a reservation at the fanciest restaurant within an hours drive of Hawkins, which happened to be an Italian restaurant. Joyce wiped at her eyes and sniffled, touched by the gesture. She headed for the phone. 

She didn't even give him chance to give her a proper greeting.

"Please tell me you and Jane will be there!" 

He cleared his throat. 

"No, that's a day just for you and Will to deal with the loss." 

Joyce sighed. "Please come too? It would mean so much to me if we were all together. You were with me when...when it happened." 

"He was part of your family, you and your family deserve the nice time. I have a meeting that night and Jane's staying with the Wheelers."

Joyce but her lip. "Okay, thank you so much for the gesture Hop. I really appreciate it." 

"No sweat, try to enjoy yourself okay?" 

 

55) “I don’t mind.”

Jim hadn't expected to see Joyce when he made it back to his office, things were still tense, uneasy between them though Jane had been staying over again and spending time with Will and Joyce.

"Hey Hop, sorry to bother you." She said, perched on the edge of the chair in front of his desk. He settled into his big chair.

"What's up?" He asked, a little too casually. 

"Listen, um, I would normally take it to the shop but I'm a little strapped for cash right now. The car has started knocking. Like really badly, would you mind taking a look at it for me?" She said almost shyly, feeling guilty for asking him to do anything given their recent sort of breakup.

"Knocking how? What does it sound like?" 

She imitated the noise and described how it made the car shake. 

"I really hate asking but you know how much I depend on that car." 

Jim nodded. "I don't mind." 

"Really?" She asked. 

"No, not at all. Jane and I will be over later and I'll look at it."

"Would you two please stay for dinner? It would mean the world to Will, to me." 

Jim sighed. "Okay. But this is going to become a habit again."

Ouch, that stung. "Alright, just as a thank you?" 

He nodded. "Alright, we'll see you tonight."


	12. Chapter 12

56\. “It brings out your eyes”

“Hey Jane I have something for you.” Joyce told her that night at dinner. “I can't wear it anymore and I thought you might like it.”

She presented the girl with a dark blue jacket. 

“Thank you!” Jane said excitedly, taking it gently and sliding into it.

“Looks good on you kiddo, it brings out your eyes.” He commented.

“Yeah, it looks really good.” Joyce added. “I'm glad it fits you. I've lost a little weight so it's too big for me.”

Jim shot her a glance. She was way too tiny to be loosing anymore weight. But he kept his comments to himself, hoping their spot of tension hadn't caused it. 

Joyce smiled at Jane sadly and he could read all over her face the emptiness that he and Jane had left behind.

 

57\. “There is room enough for both of us.”

“Jim you really should move out of that cabin. Jane probably feels like she's in prison, living that far out in the woods.” Joyce said later, as she and Hop were smoking cigarettes outside after dinner. 

“There is room enough for both of us.” He commented. “But it's all I got. I sold my trailer.” 

Joyce sighed, exhaling smoke. “You know here is always an option.” 

“Not right now.” He commented.

Joyce made a sad face. “Alright, but the offer still stands if you ever change your mind.”

 

58\. “You don't have to say anything.”

Joyce couldn't help but feel like her life was falling apart around her. She had messed things up with Jim, big time. And he had began isolating. He still let Jane come over but he'd stay in the truck when he dropped her off. The few times Joyce had seen him in town his answers were short and gruff.

And now on top of things, the house was falling apart. The bottom element in the oven had stopped working. The car was knocking again. The dryer was wobbling and fussing every time she dried clothes.

Joyce sighed and laid her head down on the table, her lit cigarette smoking in the ashtray nearby. 

There was a knock at the door and before she could answer his large frame stepped through the doorway, an oven element in one hand and a toolbox in the other. 

“Jim, what are you-”

“Kiddo told me everything that's going on. I'm here to take a look at everything.” 

“Oh Jim-”

“You don't have to say anything.” He said in reference to whatever was going on between them. “All you had to do was ask for help.” 

He walked over to the oven and took the door off before he leaned into it, busy changing the element. Joyce sighed and watched him.

 

59\. “Wow.”

She was waiting in his office when he came in in the morning. 

“Wow. You're out and about early.” He said as he walked past her to hang his hat up and sit in his big chair.

Ignoring the pronounced distance that had grown between them, she rounded the desk and sat on it in front of him. 

“I'm sorry, okay. Clearly you want something more, but I'm just not ready for it yet okay.” 

Jim sighed. “I understand loss Joycie, trust me I do. I just can't keep playing house with you on and on. It's confusing the kids and me.”

“Doesn't mean we can't still be friends still. You've been so distant.” 

Jim sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Joycie, we've been through a lot together. I waited a long time for you while you moved on with your life. I tried to do the same. Now we're back in this again and I don't know. You give me a little bit, then you pull away-” 

“Is this about sex?” She said, suddenly angry. 

“Not at all.” He said, his blue eyes growing stormy. “This is about you making up your mind. Sex is the last thing on my mind.”

That stung, and she knew it shouldn't have. 

“All that time I took care of you after you got hurt? And now you wanna get pissy because I won't give in and tell you what you want to hear?” 

He was fuming now. She could see it all over his face. 

“You told me once, that's what friends do.” 

“Friends don't give forehead kisses and pillow talk.” She fumed. “You been pushing for this from the get go!”

“And just friends don't share a bed just months after one's boyfriend dies!” 

Joyce gasped. She wanted to scream at him, to throw him out of his own office. Before she could stop herself, she did the unthinkable. 

Jim's eyes were wide with fury, his cheek an angry red. Joyce clenched her hand, the skin tingling from where her palm had met his face. 

He stood abruptly and walked over to the rack to grab his hat. “See yourself out.” He said angrily as he stalked to the door. 

 

60\. “Happy birthday” 

Jane came in, followed close behind with a box. 

“Jim what's this?” 

“Where's the birthday boy?” Jim asked and Joyce called out for Will.

“Hey kid I couldn't exactly wrap your birthday gift.”

There was a scuffle and a small noise inside the box before a tiny beagle poked his head over the top of the box. Will immediately made his way to the box and took the tiny puppy.

“Jim-” he stopped Joyce mid sentence. “This guy needs a home, and Will needs a little normalcy. I already bought a few bags of dog food too.” 

“Thanks Hop!” Will beamed, the little dog licking his cheek. 

“Happy birthday kid.”


End file.
